Maria: Young Lady of Flowerbud
by Augustine Hox
Summary: Maria's life is nowhere near easy. Base on HarvestMoonAddict's challenge.
1. Introduction

Maria sighed as she stacked the heavy books on the old wood bookshelves that lined the walls of the library. She loved her job, but sometimes, doing menial chores like stacking the books and tidying up around the place seemed a little below her. Suddenly, Maria shook off the thought. Sure she was educated; sure she was the mayor's daughter, but that in no way reflected onto her heart. Maria, in many ways, was a book. The cover beautifully designed in old script and fine leather, the binding maybe a little too tight, and words, so many words, waiting inside.


	2. River

Maria walked by the river where he was. Maria blushed when she saw him. Ray was the image of masculinity that Maria had so often read in books. So many times she longed to fall into the river with Ray and just wade there for a little while. As she approached the riverbed, she called out to the fisherman hard at work. "Hello Ray!" she called over to the quiet man. Ray turned around happily, yet when he saw who it was, his face dropped and his eyes widened. He ran downstream until he reached the estuary. "Strange," Maria frowned.


	3. Farm

The walk home from the library was not a long one, but Maria enjoyed passing by the farms that lined the roads. She especially liked Jack's, the sociable local farmer, farm. "Hello Jack!" called Maria. Jack smiled at the librarian. "Hello." Maria smiled and looked at the crops. "Do you like farming?" "It pays the bills." "What's it like?" Jack grinned at the inquisitive girl. "You thinking about the farm life?" Maria shrugged. "Maybe." Jack laughed as Maria edged her way toward her father's house. "You know what," Jack said, "you could work on my farm someday." Maria only laughed.


	4. Warmth

Maria rubbed her hands by the Franklin stove in the corner of the library. Maria loved the library, but she hated the stove, it didn't give off enough heat to warm the library. As she sat, Ray walked in, ignoring and annoying her. "Hello," she said. Ray sat down. "Hey Ray, what's your problem. Why can't you just say hello?" questioned Maria a little hurt. Ray blushed and looked up silently. "I find it hard to talk to pretty girls." Maria forgot about the stove. She didn't need it. She was warmed by an inner heat, emanating from her heart.


	5. Clouds

Maria lay on the grass and looked up at the clouds. "Hello," called a warm voice approaching. Ellen lay down beside her friend as the two looked up. "Remember when we were kids and did this all the time?" said Ellen. Maria smiled, "Of course." "That cloud looks like a heart. Things are really changing, aren't they?" Maria looked at her friend confused. "Why do you say that?" Ellen looked up at the clouds that decorated the blue sky. "I'm getting married to Carl." Beneath the moving clouds, the ladies giggled like little girls realizing that Ellen would be first.


	6. Bells

Bells would ring everywhere as Ellen and Maria walked around Mineral Town. They had taken the arduous journey in order to buy a wedding dress for Ellen. As Ellen tried on the dress in the marketplace, Maria looked out the window at the church. The church bells rang continuously. "What do you think, Maria?" Maria grinned as she looked at her friend, yet she couldn't help but feel depressed that it wasn't her trying on the dresses. She had always told herself to have adventures before marriage, but marriage was an adventure, wasn't it? As she thought, the bells rang.


	7. Love

As Maria and Ellen reached Flowerbud Square, they found Carl who took Ellen into his arms. Maria had always read about what Ellen and Carl were experiencing and it hurt her since she didn't believe Ellen treasured what she had. She felt a tang of jealously in her heart. "Hello Maria," smiled Carl. Maria blushed. Something had changed in Carl. The once weak and frail man suddenly had an air of strength about him, a certain unattainable quality that seemed to draw Maria in. When Carl and Ellen slowly left together, Maria's eyes widened. She was in love with Carl.


	8. Cold

The winter was icy cold as Maria edged her way toward the library. The cold nipped her nose and made her shiver. She had gone to Blue Sky Ranch that morning to help Ellen prepare for her wedding, yet she realized when she made a mistake when the snowpack had disrupted the roads toward the library. The cold outside seemed to mix with the cold feelings that she felt inside. She was angry at herself. How could she love her best friend's fiancé? Maria couldn't take the cold anymore and turned to a building. The wooden sign read, "Café Calloway."


	9. Coffee

Maria took a seat in the Café. Katie had not come into work that day due to the snow and she was alone with Carl. "What can I do for you?" asked Carl, smiling. Maria just blinked. Carl laughed, "snow got your tongue? Let me get you some coffee." Maria looked into the fireplace. She wanted to be loved, but could she do something crazy? It would be wrong, but she wanted to be loved. That was her first priority right now. "Here's your coffee," said Carl, "can I do anything else for you?" "Yes," she said, quickly kissing him.


	10. Gift

Maria sat at her librarian's desk, full of hurt and regret, when a little Tim stood before her. Maria forced a smile. "Yes?" "Here's a gift from someone," said Tim, leaving. Maria opened the letter. "Dear Maria, I would like to know if you would be my date for Carl and Ellen's wedding. Please take these chocolates as an appeal to you. Yours, Jack." Maria smiled. It was a sweet gift, in more ways than one, but the last thing she wanted to think of was Carl and Ellen, but she pretty much knew the answer. "Of course," she thought.


	11. Fire

Maria walked by Jack's house, where he had a bonfire burning. She took a seat next to him before the warm flames. "Hi Jack," said Maria, "I just came to say I accept." Jack smiled. "Thank you." The two looked into the dancing lames and Maria began to cry. "Oh Jack, I did something terrible!" Jack looked confused. "What's going on?" Maria whispered to Jack the story of what she had don't and Jack's eye widened. "My God," said Jack, "this could change anything." Maria pouted and continued looking into the dying flames. Similarly, her passion had begun to wane.


	12. Marriage

The ceremony had gone on and Carl and Ellen were married, but Jack had stood Maria up and she was all alone throughout the entire ceremony. Now at the party, Maria greeted Ellen and tried to avoid her husband the entire night. Griffin, one of Carl's associates, began playing a tune on his guitar and the married couple, along with a few other couple began to dance. Again, the desire to be loved filled Maria's heart until she felt a presence beside her. Ray put out his hand. "Do you want to dance?" asked Ray, nervous as hell. Maria smiled.


	13. Death

Maria was shocked to find that Jack and tripped and fallen on his sickle and a funeral was being held for him. Her anger toward the man quickly dissipated at the realization of his untimely death. Carl and Ellen were gone and did not attend the funeral, but Maria couldn't help spending hours looking over the body. She had read enough mystery novels to see that something was wrong with the body. She wasn't sure if it was foul play, but how could she prove it? And for what? Wasn't he just a farmer? Maria didn't know what to do.


	14. LookAlike

Maria felt confused. She had walked into the woodshop to buy a better stove and had talked to the kindest man, yet when she saw the man again at the Perch Inn, he was a complete stoic. She sat in the library confused why a man would do a complete one-eighty in a matter of seconds. Later in the library, she saw the man walk into the building, and then, a few second later, he did it again! "My goodness!" laughed Maria, "you two are complete look alikes!" Joe and Kurt laughed. It was not the first time this happened.


	15. Apple

Maria was hungry and she saw an apple hanging from a tree. Not thinking anyone would mind, she picked it and sat down on the roots and began to eat it. While she did so, a dark looking man walked by. "Hey pretty lady!" called the man, "you can't do that!" Maria looked up. The man was attractive, but his voice was strange. "I'm sorry…" "Dan" laughed the man, "and it's okay. I'll let you go this time, but just don't let it happen again." Maria smiled. "Thank you, sir." Dan smiled. "I hope you come by again," he laughed.


	16. Life

"Hey Maria," said Joe, "did you hear the news?" Maria raised an eyebrow, she did not approve of gossip. "What?" she asked disinterested. "Eve is pregnant!" "What!" exclaimed Maria. "She and Eve were friends, but she had no idea that her friend had life in her. "Who's the father?" asked Maria. Joe shrugged. "Most people think it's Dan, since he spends a lot of time with Eve." "Plus, they're getting married next week," Kurt added. "Oh," said Maria, "well, I guess there is going to be new life." "Yeah," said Joe, "after Jack's death I think we all need it."


	17. Night

The evening had covered over the village and Maria was taking the road home much later than usual. Fear enveloped her heart as the familiar road became foreign due to the covering darkness. Before she arrived home she looked over at Jack's house. She shivered as the empty house of a dead man stood eerily in the shadows. As she stared, the lights of the house turned on and clearly in the window, she saw the silhouette of someone standing and looking out. Maria bolted into her father's house and glanced back as the light flickered off and someone fled.


	18. Children

Maria and her friend Ann sat on the beach during a warm spring day. A distance away, Tim and Meryl were playing by the water. "Aren't they cute, I bet they grow up and get married," laughed Ann. Maria smiled. As she saw them play, her heart began to rise. The innocent love of children reminded her of some good in the world. Her life seemed so depressing recently, but there was something about the children that made her happy and hopeful. "Yeah, I bet," laughed Maria looking toward her friend. Ann sighed, "I wonder when I'll tie the knot."


	19. Sun

The sun shined warmly on Maria and Ann as they walked to the Moonlight Cafe. "What a beautiful day," said Ann. Maria nodded in agreement and looked at the clear sky. Only a single cloud dampened the clear scene. "Hey, why don't we go to the Square." The two walked along the brick road. The day was still warm and nothing seemed able to bring Maria down. The image of the children had made her happy. As the two reached the east end of the Square the lone cloud covered the sun. "Look! It's Carl and Ellen!" exclaimed Ann happily.


	20. Beach

Maria sat depressed on the beach. Seeing Carl reminded her of the regret she felt. As she sat, Ray walked by. Shaking in nervousness he sat beside her. "Is something wrong?" he asked. Maria shook in hurt and came clean about what happened with Carl all those months ago. Ray tried to look sympathetic. "It's all in the past, Maria," said Ray. "You can't dwell on it." Maria frowned. "But now he's with Ellen, after what we did. All I wanted was to be loved." The two sat in silence as the tide came in and pulled back into sea.


	21. Harvest Festival

It was autumn and Maria and her father stood before the village. The food was lush at the Harvest Festival and the people, especially the newly-wed couple were enjoying themselves. Maria sat quietly and rummaged through a sample of the crop. She couldn't help looking at the table that represented Jack's farm's harvest before his death. She moved a pumpkin away and gasped and jumped back. The crowd gathered around and saw that Maria had discovered a golden sickle hidden in the crops. "What does it mean?" asked a confused Ellen. Theodore frowned, "it means Jack's death was no accident."


	22. Afraid

Maria sat in Jack's house in fear while some of the men looked around for clues. She felt as if the walls were crying out to her and many a shiver ran down her spine. She decided to withhold the information about the silhouette and had tagged along to see what had happened to Jack. Theodore, Ray, Joe, Kurt, and Michael looked around for clues. Suddenly, the lights flickered off and someone ran in, then a scream, then a window crashed. When the lights came on, Theodore lay dead on the ground, draped with a sobbing Maria over his head.


	23. Hate

Maria lay angrily on her cot in the library listening to the radio. The news about Hank's election as the new town's mayor and Ellen and Carl's moving into Maria's old house filled her heart with hate and confusion. In the season since her father's death, she had lost Jack and her father, and now she had lost her home. She hated Hank for taking her father's job, but not as much as she hated the murderer for taking these things away from her. As Hank promised the village to capture the murderer, Maria closed her eye, thinking angry thoughts.


	24. Birth

Maria's jaw dropped as Gina and Martha brought her into the Clinic. In the cot, Eve breathed heavily, Dan standing closely by. "Quick Maria, can you get the doctor?" asked Gina. Maria nodded. "He's in the cave," said Martha. As Maria ran to the cave she wondered how Eve's life was going to play out. Having a baby at a young age would alter her life drastically. Eventually, Doctor Alex delivered the baby and Maria held it in her arms while Gina assisted Eve. As she looked at the little bundle of joy, she felt a ting in her heart.


	25. Farmer

Maria was angry as she barged into the Blue Sky Ranch. "Blue!" she called out angrily. The stoic farmer walked over to the head strong girl. "How could you buy Jack's farm!" cried Maria. Blue shrugged. "It border's my property. Besides, I paid the money, didn't break any laws." "But there has to be a public auction to sell the land." Blue shrugged again. "Uncle Hank told me there was no need." Maria's eyes narrowed. So that was it. Jack's farm was now part of the Blue Sky Ranch. As Maria left, she gave one last glance at the farmer.


End file.
